Introduction
Background
Lucayan Indians inhabited the islands when Christopher COLUMBUS first set foot in the New World on San Salvador in 1492. British settlement of the islands began in 1647; the islands became a colony in 1783. Piracy thrived in the 17th and 18th centuries because of The Bahamas close proximity to shipping lanes. Since attaining independence from the UK in 1973, The Bahamas has prospered through tourism, international banking, and investment management, which comprise up to 85% of GDP. Because of its proximity to the US – the nearest Bahamian landmass being only 80 km (50 mi) from Florida – the country is a major transshipment point for illicit trafficking, particularly to the US mainland, as well as Europe. US law enforcement agencies cooperate closely with The Bahamas, and the US Coast Guard assists Bahamian authorities in coastal defense through Operation Bahamas, Turks and Caicos, or OPBAT.
Geography
Location
chain of islands in the North Atlantic Ocean, southeast of Florida, northeast of Cuba
Climate
tropical marine; moderated by warm waters of Gulf Stream
Terrain
long, flat coral formations with some low rounded hills
Elevation
highest point: 1.3 km NE of Old Bight on Cat Island 64 m
lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
Land use
agricultural land: 1.4% (2018 est.)
arable land: 0.8% (2018 est.)
permanent crops: 0.4% (2018 est.)
permanent pasture: 0.2% (2018 est.)
forest: 51.4% (2018 est.)
other: 47.2% (2018 est.)
Population distribution
most of the population lives in urban areas, with two-thirds living on New Providence Island where Nassau is located
Natural hazards
hurricanes and other tropical storms cause extensive flood and wind damage
Environment – international agreements
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Climate Change-Paris Agreement, Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
Geography – note
strategic location adjacent to US and Cuba; extensive island chain of which 30 are inhabited
People and Society
Population
352,655 (July 2021 est.)
note: estimates for this country explicitly take into account the effects of excess mortality due to AIDS; this can result in lower life expectancy, higher infant mortality, higher death rates, lower population growth rates, and changes in the distribution of population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected
country comparison to the world: 178
Ethnic groups
African descent 90.6%, White 4.7%, mixed 2.1%, other 1.9%, unspecified 0.7% (2010 est.)
note: data represent population by racial group
Languages
English (official), Creole (among Haitian immigrants)
Religions
Protestant 69.9% (includes Baptist 34.9%, Anglican 13.7%, Pentecostal 8.9% Seventh Day Adventist 4.4%, Methodist 3.6%, Church of God 1.9%, Brethren 1.6%, other Protestant .9%), Roman Catholic 12%, other Christian 13% (includes Jehovah’s Witness 1.1%), other 0.6%, none 1.9%, unspecified 2.6% (2010 est.)
Age structure
0-14 years: 21.7% (male 38,811/female 37,719)
15-24 years: 14.91% (male 26,636/female 25,945)
25-54 years: 43.56% (male 76,505/female 77,119)
55-64 years: 10.75% (male 17,508/female 20,391)
65 years and over: 9.08% (male 12,587/female 19,434) (2021 est.)
For additional information, please see the entry for Population pyramid on the Definitions and Notes page.” />
For additional information, please see the entry for Population pyramid on the Definitions and Notes page.” />
Dependency ratios
total dependency ratio: 41.5
youth dependency ratio: 30.6
elderly dependency ratio: 11
potential support ratio: 9.1 (2020 est.)
Population distribution
most of the population lives in urban areas, with two-thirds living on New Providence Island where Nassau is located
Urbanization
urban population: 83.4% of total population (2021)
rate of urbanization: 1.02% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)
Sex ratio
at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
0-14 years: 1.03 male(s)/female
15-24 years: 1.03 male(s)/female
25-54 years: 1.01 male(s)/female
55-64 years: 0.86 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.63 male(s)/female
total population: 0.96 male(s)/female (2020 est.)
Drinking water source
improved: total: 98.9% of population
unimproved: total: 1.1% of population (2017 est.)
Environment
Environment – international agreements
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Climate Change-Paris Agreement, Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
Air pollutants
particulate matter emissions: 17.56 micrograms per cubic meter (2016 est.)
carbon dioxide emissions: 1.79 megatons (2016 est.)
methane emissions: 0.23 megatons (2020 est.)
Climate
tropical marine; moderated by warm waters of Gulf Stream
Land use
agricultural land: 1.4% (2018 est.)
arable land: 0.8% (2018 est.)
permanent crops: 0.4% (2018 est.)
permanent pasture: 0.2% (2018 est.)
forest: 51.4% (2018 est.)
other: 47.2% (2018 est.)
Urbanization
urban population: 83.4% of total population (2021)
rate of urbanization: 1.02% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)
Government
Country name
conventional long form: Commonwealth of The Bahamas
conventional short form: The Bahamas
etymology: name derives from the Spanish “baha mar,” meaning “shallow sea,” which describes the shallow waters of the Bahama Banks
Government type
parliamentary democracy under a constitutional monarchy; a Commonwealth realm
Capital
name: Nassau
geographic coordinates: 25 05 N, 77 21 W
time difference: UTC-5 (same time as Washington, DC, during Standard Time)
daylight saving time: +1hr, begins second Sunday in March; ends first Sunday in November
etymology: named after William III (1650-1702), king of England, Scotland, and Ireland, who was a member of the House of Nassau
Administrative divisions
31 districts; Acklins Islands, Berry Islands, Bimini, Black Point, Cat Island, Central Abaco, Central Andros, Central Eleuthera, City of Freeport, Crooked Island and Long Cay, East Grand Bahama, Exuma, Grand Cay, Harbour Island, Hope Town, Inagua, Long Island, Mangrove Cay, Mayaguana, Moore’s Island, North Abaco, North Andros, North Eleuthera, Ragged Island, Rum Cay, San Salvador, South Abaco, South Andros, South Eleuthera, Spanish Wells, West Grand Bahama
Constitution
history: previous 1964 (preindependence); latest adopted 20 June 1973, effective 10 July 1973
amendments: proposed as an “Act” by Parliament; passage of amendments to articles such as the organization and composition of the branches of government requires approval by at least two-thirds majority of the membership of both houses of Parliament and majority approval in a referendum; passage of amendments to constitutional articles such as fundamental rights and individual freedoms, the powers, authorities, and procedures of the branches of government, or changes to the Bahamas Independence Act 1973 requires approval by at least three-fourths majority of the membership of both houses and majority approval in a referendum; amended many times, last in 2016
Citizenship
citizenship by birth: no
citizenship by descent only: at least one parent must be a citizen of The Bahamas
dual citizenship recognized: no
residency requirement for naturalization: 6-9 years
Executive branch
chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952); represented by Governor General Cornelius A. SMITH (since 28 June 2019)
head of government: Prime Minister Hubert MINNIS (since 11 May 2017)
cabinet: Cabinet appointed by governor general on recommendation of prime minister
elections/appointments: the monarchy is hereditary; governor general appointed by the monarch on the advice of the prime minister; following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party or majority coalition usually appointed prime minister by the governor general; the prime minister recommends the deputy prime minister
note: Prime Minister Hubert MINNIS is only the fourth prime minister in Bahamian history following its independence from the UK; he is also the first prime minister in 25 years besides Perry CHRISTIE and Hubert INGRAHAM, who repeatedly traded the premiership from 1992 to 2017
Legislative branch
description: bicameral Parliament consists of:
Senate (16 seats; members appointed by the governor general upon the advice of the prime minister and the opposition leader to serve 5-year terms)
House of Assembly (39 seats; members directly elected in single-seat constituencies by simple majority vote to serve 5-year terms)
elections:
Senate – last appointments on 24 May 2017 (next appointments in 2022)
House of Assembly – last held on 10 May 2017 (next to be held by May 2022)
election results:
Senate – appointed; composition – men 9, women 7, percent of women 43.8%
House of Assembly – percent of vote by party – FNM 57%, PLP 36.9%, other 6.1%; seats by party – FNM 35, PLP 4; composition – men 34, women 5, percent of women 12.8%; note – total Parliament percent of women 21.8%
note: the government may dissolve the parliament and call elections at any time
Judicial branch
highest courts: Court of Appeal (consists of the court president and 4 justices, organized in 3-member panels); Supreme Court (consists of the chief justice and a maximum of 11 and a minimum of 2 justices)
judge selection and term of office: Court of Appeal president and Supreme Court chief justice appointed by the governor-general on the advice of the prime minister after consultation with the leader of the opposition party; other Court of Appeal and Supreme Court justices appointed by the governor general upon recommendation of the Judicial and Legal Services Commission, a 5-member body headed by the chief justice; Court of Appeal justices appointed for life with mandatory retirement normally at age 68 but can be extended until age 70; Supreme Court justices appointed for life with mandatory retirement normally at age 65 but can be extended until age 67
subordinate courts: Industrial Tribunal; Stipendiary and Magistrates’ Courts; Family Island Administrators
note: the Bahamas is a member of the 15-member Caribbean Community but is not party to the agreement establishing the Caribbean Court of Justice as its highest appellate court; the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council (in London) serves as the final court of appeal for The Bahamas
Political parties and leaders
Democratic National Alliance or DNA [Christopher MORTIMER, interim leader]
Free National Movement or FNM [Hubert MINNIS]
Progressive Liberal Party or PLP [Philip “Brave” DAVIS]
International organization participation
ACP, AOSIS, C, Caricom, CDB, CELAC, FAO, G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (NGOs), ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO (correspondent), ITSO, ITU, LAES, MIGA, NAM, OAS, OPANAL, OPCW, Petrocaribe, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO (observer)
Diplomatic representation in the US
chief of mission: Ambassador Sidney Stanley COLLIE (since 29 November 2017)
chancery: 2220 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008
telephone: [1] (202) 319-2660
FAX: [1] (202) 319-2668
consulate(s) general: Atlanta, Miami, New York, Washington, DC
honorary consulate(s): Aurora (CO), Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles
Diplomatic representation from the US
chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant); Charge d’ Affaires Stephanie BOWERS (since 1 March 2018)
telephone: [1] (242) 322-1181, 328-2206 (after hours)
embassy: 42 Queen Street, Nassau, New Providence
mailing address: local or express mail address: P. O. Box N-8197, Nassau; US Department of State, 3370 Nassau Place, Washington, DC 20521-3370
FAX: [1] (242) 356-7174
Flag description
three equal horizontal bands of aquamarine (top), gold, and aquamarine, with a black equilateral triangle based on the hoist side; the band colors represent the golden beaches of the islands surrounded by the aquamarine sea; black represents the vigor and force of a united people, while the pointing triangle indicates the enterprise and determination of the Bahamian people to develop the rich resources of land and sea
National symbol(s)
blue marlin, flamingo, Yellow Elder flower; national colors: aquamarine, yellow, black
National anthem
name: March On, Bahamaland!
lyrics/music: Timothy GIBSON
note: adopted 1973; as a Commonwealth country, in addition to the national anthem, “God Save the Queen” serves as the royal anthem (see United Kingdom)
Economy
Economic overview
The Bahamas has the second highest per capita GDP in the English-speaking Caribbean with an economy heavily dependent on tourism and financial services. Tourism accounts for approximately 50% of GDP and directly or indirectly employs half of the archipelago’s labor force. Financial services constitute the second-most important sector of the Bahamian economy, accounting for about 15% of GDP. Manufacturing and agriculture combined contribute less than 7% of GDP and show little growth, despite government incentives aimed at those sectors. The new government led by Prime Minister Hubert MINNIS has prioritized addressing fiscal imbalances and rising debt, which stood at 75% of GDP in 2016. Large capital projects like the Baha Mar Casino and Hotel are driving growth. Public debt increased in 2017 in large part due to hurricane reconstruction and relief financing. The primary fiscal balance was a deficit of 0.4% of GDP in 2016. The Bahamas is the only country in the Western Hemisphere that is not a member of the World Trade Organization.
Credit ratings
Moody’s rating: Ba2 (2020)
Standard & Poors rating: BB- (2020)
GDP – composition, by end use
household consumption: 68% (2017 est.)
government consumption: 13% (2017 est.)
investment in fixed capital: 26.3% (2017 est.)
investment in inventories: 0.7% (2017 est.)
exports of goods and services: 33.7% (2017 est.)
imports of goods and services: -41.8% (2017 est.)
Agricultural products
sugar cane, grapefruit, vegetables, bananas, tomatoes, poultry, tropical fruit, oranges, coconuts, mangoes/guavas
Industries
tourism, banking, oil bunkering, maritime industries, transshipment and logistics, salt, aragonite, pharmaceuticals
Budget
revenues: 2.139 billion (2017 est.)
expenditures: 2.46 billion (2017 est.)
Exchange rates
Bahamian dollars (BSD) per US dollar –
1 (2017 est.)
1 (2016 est.)
1 (2015 est.)
1 (2014 est.)
1 (2013 est.)
Communications
Telecommunication systems
general assessment: the telecom sector across the Caribbean continues to be a growth area, contributing to the country’s overall GDP; totally automatic system; highly developed; operators focus investment on mobile networks; the activation of (mobile number portability) MNP in April 2017, allowing mobile subscribers to port their numbers between competing MNO (mobile network operators) has contributed to the competition and liberalization of the market (2020)
domestic: 23 per 100 fixed-line, 109 per 100 mobile-cellular (2019)
international: country code – 1-242; landing points for the ARCOS-1, BICS, Bahamas 2-US, and BDSN fiber-optic submarine cables that provide links to South and Central America, parts of the Caribbean, and the US; satellite earth stations – 2; the Bahamas Domestic Submarine Network links all of the major islands; (2019)
note: the COVID-19 outbreak is negatively impacting telecommunications production and supply chains globally; consumer spending on telecom devices and services has also slowed due to the pandemic’s effect on economies worldwide; overall progress towards improvements in all facets of the telecom industry – mobile, fixed-line, broadband, submarine cable and satellite – has moderated
Broadcast media
The Bahamas has 4 major TV providers that provide service to all major islands in the archipelago; 1 TV station is operated by government-owned, commercially run Broadcasting Corporation of the Bahamas (BCB) and competes freely with 4 privately owned TV stations; multi-channel cable TV subscription service here is widely available; there are 32 licensed broadcast (radio) service providers, 31 are privately owned FM radio stations operating on New Providence, Grand Bahama Island, Abaco Island, and on smaller islands in the country; the BCB operates a multi-channel radio broadcasting network that has national coverage; the sector is regulated by the Utilities Regulation and Competition Authority (2019)
Transportation
National air transport system
number of registered air carriers: 5 (2020)
inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers: 35
annual passenger traffic on registered air carriers: 1,197,116 (2018)
annual freight traffic on registered air carriers: 160,000 mt-km (2018)
Ports and terminals
major seaport(s): Freeport, Nassau, South Riding Point
cruise port(s): Nassau
container port(s) (TEUs): Freeport (1,116,272)(2011)
